The Legend Of The Four Brothers
by No Guns Only Roses
Summary: A young orphan rat named Splinter is adopted by Hamato Yoshi, a respected ninja of the Foot Clan. After his master and friend is killed by a dangerous assassin known as the Shredder, Splinter dedicates his life to raising Yoshi's four sons and training them in the ninja arts so they would one day avenge their father's death. An AU fic.
1. Chapter 1

**So I've had this idea in my head for a long time, before I even joined FanFiction. Now that I'm an author, I want to share this new AU with you guys. It's pretty much a reimagining of the Turtle's origin, about what their life would be like if they lived in Usagi's world.**

 **NOTE: There will probably be grammar mistakes which I will fix later.**

 **Warning: Disturbing content in this chapter. I'll rate this chapter "M" just to be safe...**

He tried to block out his mother's cries that were coming from the other room by covering his ears, but it was no use.

His three siblings, who lay next to him in the pile of blankets that served as their bed, did the same. Lotus, their only sister and the youngest of the group, started to cry.

"I hate it when Mother's like this," she whimpered, tears dripping down her nose and whiskers. "It always sounds like she's hurting."

Arrow, the oldest, sat up and held her, soothingly rubbing her back while whispering words of comfort in her ear. "Don't cry, little sister. She's not hurt. She has done this many times in the past, so she's used to it."

Moon, the second oldest, groaned and buried his head under a pillow. "I can't take this anymore!" he yelled muffled. "One of these days, I'm going to run away!"

The third brother, Splinter, rolled to the side to face his brother. "Moon, I know you're frustrated-"

Moon threw the pillow aside and sat up, glaring at his brother. "Everyone in this village looks at us like we're horse droppings because our mother's a whore! It's a disgrace to our family! Mother doesn't care about how it affects us!"

Angered by his brother's insensitive words, Splinter threw his pillow at Moon, his long tail slapping down on the bed. "Take that back, you-!"

"Brothers!" Arrow whispered harshly. "Shhhh! They'll hear us. And Moon, you are wrong. Mother works as a prostitute because she has no other choice. It puts food on the table and provides us with a roof over our heads. You don't think it breaks her heart knowing that her children have to put up with this every day?"

Moon huffed and covered himself with a blanket. "None of us even share the same father," he mumbled. "I hate our life."

"Enough," Arrow sternly said. "Whether you hate it or love it, it doesn't matter. This is our life, and we have to make the most of it and be there for Mother."

They heard a man let out a loud cry in the other room, which meant that it was finally over. After a few minutes of panting, the man chuckled and a loud slapping sound followed. "Thanks for pleasuring me," he said. The sound of coins chinking indicated that he was paying her for her service and then the door slammed shut.

Lotus sighed in relief and snuggled close to Arrow. "It's over," she whispered.

Now that they were no longer bothered by the noises of their mother's...labor, the siblings quickly went back to sleep. Moments later, the mother rat, whose name was Momo, slowly and quietly slid the door open and peeked inside, checking on her children. Seeing that they were sound asleep, she closed the door and laid down in her own bed, wincing as she did.

Her entire body ached from the tiger's harsh treatment and her shoulders had deep lacerations from his claws. As she closed her eyes, tears slid down her cheeks. She knew that her children were embarrassed and ashamed by her lifestyle and the entire village looked down on her family because of it. But someday, once she has earned enough money, they will move to a new village and begin their life anew, and her children will have a more promising future.

Her ear twitched as she heard the door to the children's bedroom being slid open and she turned to see Splinter standing there, looking at his mother with sad brown eyes.

"Mother," he softly said as he approached her, "are you alright?"

Quickly drying her tears, Momo sat up and gave her son a tensed smile. "Yes, my dearest. Go back to sleep now."

But Splinter climbed onto the bed and laid his head in her lap, rubbing her knee in comfort. More tears burned Momo's eyes. Her third son always had such a kind heart. She, in turn, pulled him close and stroked his head.

"One day we will leave this village, my son," she whispered. "And I will never have to work as a lowly prostitute ever again. I promise."

He lifted his eyes and looked straight into her kind grey ones. "I will take care of you, Mother. And so will Arrow, Moon, and Lotus."

Momo smiled and leaned down to gently kiss him on the forehead. "I know, Splinter. I know."

* * *

"What will we give Mother on her birthday?" Lotus asked as she played with her doll which was made out of cloth and straw.

The young rat siblings relaxed at a creek while their mother went shopping in the marketplace back in the village. Moon threw another rock into the water and crossed his arms with a snort. "We can't even afford new sandals. What makes you think we can afford to buy her a gift, or at least a nice one?"

"It doesn't necessarily have to be bought," Arrow said. "As long as it's from the heart, it will be just as precious to Mother."

Splinter thought about it for a moment, before a brilliant but crazy idea came to mind. "How about we give her a wreath made of blue blossoms?"

His siblings looked at him as though he had grown two heads.

"Are you insane?" Moon pointed to the north. "You mean you want us to go into Rhino territory just to get some stupid flowers?"

"For once, Moon has a point, Splinter," Arrow agreed. "The Rhinos will slaughter you if they catch you on their land or at least take you prisoner. While it's touching that you're willing to go that far for Mother, it's suicidal. As the oldest, I forbid you from going."

Splinter's ears dropped. "But, Brother-"

"But nothing," Arrow sternly said. "We'll just make a wreath out of the flowers here."

"Yay!" Lotus cheered as she stood up and began searching for some flowers. "I love making wreaths!"

Arrow fondly patted her on the head and went in the opposite direction. Moon rolled his eyes and sighed exasperatedly but joined in on the search too. Making wreaths was a girl's thing, but it was for their mother so today would be an exception.

As his siblings worked and had their backs to him, Splinter sneaked away and headed for the forbidden Rhino lands...

* * *

The blue blossom trees were exceptionally rare and the only known ones were located just outside the Rhino village. Splinter knew the risks that were in store for him there. After all, Rhino Clan was known for their sadistic and barbaric behavior, always raiding villages and taking the few who had survived prisoner. He once heard a story about them invading the Fox village. All of the men killed their own wives and children to spare them from the wrath of the rhinos. Needless to say, no one was taken prisoner.

After hours of traveling, he finally approached the Rhino rice fields, and just on top of a hill in the distance was a blue blossom tree. He looked around for any sign of the Rhinos, and so far there were none in sight. He took a deep breath before he scurried across the field and headed toward the hill.

As he climbed to the top, he pictured himself giving his mother a wreath of blue blossoms. Of course, he anticipated a severe scolding for venturing into enemy territory on his own, but afterwards she would thank for him for such a wonderful gift. She would have in her possession extremely rare flowers that all the other more privileged women in the village desired but could never obtain. The thought of her mother being respected and even envied for once made him smile.

He finally reached the blossom tree, and he looked up in awe at the breathtaking blue colors of the petals. They would definitely look good on Mother.

...

He worked on wreath during the entire trip back to his village, and it was almost dark by the time he reached the creek. His mother and siblings were undoubtedly worried about him and he was prepared for a tongue lashing one he got home.

His nose wrinkled when he smelled something burning. Perhaps the locals were burning some leaves or wood, he figured. But then he picked up the strong scent of burning flesh, and he began to fear the worst. He picked up the pace and ran as fast as he could to the village, and he dropped the wreath in shock as he was greeted by a horrible sight.

The entire village was in flames.

The first thing that came to his mind was his family.

Without thinking, he ran straight into the village and frantically searched for his family. All around him were mangled bodies, young and old. He could hear the anguish cries and screams of terror of the remaining villagers, though he could see through all the flames and smoke what was happening to them, nor did he want to find out.

When he reached his house, he was relieved to see that it was still in one piece and untouched. He began to pound on the door and call out to his family. "MOTHER! SIBLINGS!"

The door instantly flew open and a hand quickly pulled him inside. His mother slammed the door shut behind her and embraced her son, sobbing and nuzzling his cheek.

"Splinter!" she cried. "My son! You are alive!"

Splinter hugged her back and began to cry, himself. "Mother! I'm so sorry! I never should've left! I just wanted-!"

A loud banging on the door interrupted him, and Momo wasted no time in removing the table that barricaded the children's bedroom. She slid the door open and pushed him inside, where his brothers and sisters greeted him with a hug.

"Splinter!"

"Brother!"

"You're alive!"

The banging continued and Momo put a finger to her lips, silently instructing her children to be quiet before she slid the door shut and placed the table in front of it once again.

"Why is this happening?" Splinter whispered to his siblings.

"It's the Rhinos," Arrow said. "They're targeting ourvillage this time."

"I'm scared, Brother," Lotus hid her face in Splinter's kimono.

"Don't worry, Lotus," Moon tried to hide his own fear by acting tough for his sister's sake. "If any dumb Rhino gets in here, I'll fight him off!"

...

The door was kicked down and three Rhino soldiers barged into the house. All they found was a rat sitting on a table that was placed in front of another door. She quivered in fear as one of them stomped over to her.

He smiled down at her maliciously, revealing his yellow crooked teeth. "Hiding something in there?"

Momo only scooted closer to the door. "P-Please go away," she pleaded. "Take anything you want and just go."

He threw his head back and laughed. "Please, there's nothing in here worth taking. But maybe behind that door..." He roughly shoved her aside and began to slide the door open.

"NO!" Momo latched onto his arm and bit down as hard as she could.

The Rhino cried out in pain and slapped her off of him. "Restrain her! Keep that wench back!" The other Rhinos held Momo back while the leader slid the door all the way, and he was disappointed to find just an empty bedroom. But his nose picked up the stench of more rats. He stepped in and followed the scent to a pile of blankets. He kicked it and the muffled cries of pain and surprise immediately followed.

Grinning, he removed the blankets and four young rats were looking up at him with eyes full of fear.

"Oh, good," he chuckled darkly. "More young slaves. You seem healthy enough."

"NO!" Momo struggled more than ever to break free. "Leave them alone! Take me but not my babies!"

The leader ignored her and grabbed Lotus by the arm. The youngest rat squealed as she was being dragged away, and both Arrow and Moon ran to their sister's defense, jumping onto the Rhino and attacking him. Arrow bit down on his arm while Moon chewed on one of his ears. The Rhino struggled to pry them off and in the process accidentally threw Lotus against the wall. A sickening crack was heard upon impact and Lotus dropped to the floor, seemingly lifeless.

"LOTUS!" Momo screamed. "MY BABY!"

Splinter was too frightened to move, still trying to process what was happening around him. This was supposed to be a happy day. They were supposed to having a merry time celebrating his mother's birthday. How could this have happened all at once?

The Rhino leader finally subdued the two rat brothers and held them up their arms. They still continued to resist, kicking at him as they dangled. The Rhino laughed at their futile attempts and carried them outside. "One of you, check on the littlest one," he instructed his comrades as he walked out of the house.

A Rhino let go of Momo and walked over to Lotus, who continued to lay on the floor very still. He checked her over and lifted her chin. He winced when he heard another crack as he slightly turned her head. He sighed and shook her head. "No good. Her neck had been snapped."

Momo wailed at the top of her lungs and dropped to her knees. Splinter clamped a hand over his mouth and tears were building up in his eyes. This couldn't be happening.

The Rhino holding Momo snorted and shrugged his shoulders. "Oh, well. Grab the other child."

Splinter's heart pounded as the soldier approached the bed and reached for him. But before the Rhino could grab him, the rat sprinted through the gap between his legs and toward the front door.

"Run, Splinter!" Momo screamed to her son as he ran outside. "Run!"

He didn't know it at the time but that would be the last time he'd ever hear his mother's voice.

...

The village continued to burn as he escaped to the hills, and he stopped for a moment to catch his breath. He turned back to see the Rhinos pushing the survivors into their caged wagons, mostly women and children. He didn't see his brothers, and he prayed that they either escaped or were killed, for even death was a mercy compared to living as a slave in the Rhino Clan.

After taking one last, longing look at the village he used to call home, Splinter turned away and continued on his path, though he did not know where to go. As he staggered, he looked up at the moon that hung above his head in the starless black sky. His heart broke for his mother and siblings, and he had never felt so alone in his life.

...

After spending the whole night wandering around aimlessly, he could finally see a small village that was hidden by the hills. He didn't know if the locals were friendly or not, but at this point, he could care less. He was tired and cold and starved, and he didn't want to spend the rest of his life alone in the woods.

As he got closer to the gates of the village, he could see two guards dressed entirely in black, and even their faces were covered, but judging by their long scaled tails and piercing yellow eyes, he could guess that they were reptiles. On their brows were strange red symbols, which appeared to be three-toed footprints.

They inspected a traveler's cart before they moved aside and let him pass. Splinter figured that they wouldn't let a dirty, lowly rat orphan into their village. His ears twitched when he heard the turning of wheels and saw another traveller approaching with a cart full of ceramic pots. Thinking quickly, he sneaked to the back of the cart and hopped on, being as quiet as he could be as he climbed into one of the pots. Thankfully he was small enough to hide in it and he closed the lid over him.

He felt the cart come to a complete stop as the guards spoke with the driver. He only hoped that the guards wouldn't inspect the pots, and to his tremendous relief, they didn't and allowed the driver to pass.

Splinter lifted the lid a bit and peeked outside. To his surprise, the villagers were all reptiles, but they seemed friendly enough, greeting each other with a smile and nod. There were even children who were playing on the streets.

Splinter smiled to himself. This could be the beginning of a brand new life for him.

* * *

He soon found out that he was even worse off than he was before.

Ever since he arrived two months ago, he had been living on the streets and stole food from the villagers in order to survive. He had no roof over his head, he starved every day, and even the children treated him poorly, throwing rocks at him and calling him a "rodent".

The villagers thought it appropriate for him to be named "Splinter", for he was a constant pain in their side and they considered him a nuisance. Some even threatened to kill the rat as he stole from them, but fortunately he was much too quick for them.

Then one day, he heard the sound of coins dropping to the ground and saw a Turtle in a black and red kimono bending down to pick up his bag of money, grumbling as he did. Several coins were scattered all around, and a hungry and desperate Splinter took a risk in sneaking up behind the Turtle and picking up as many coins as he could before he'd get caught.

Unfortunately, the Turtle heard him and swiftly turned his head. Realizing he had been caught, Splinter turned to run but the Turtle caught him by the collar of his kimono.

Enraged, he unsheathed his katana and raised it over his head. "Filthy rodent!" he yelled. "You'll die for this!"

Splinter closed his eyes and waited for death to take him.

But just as the Turtle brought his sword down to execute the rat, a scaled hand grabbed his wrist and stopped him.

"Nagi, no!"

Splinter opened his eyes and saw another Turtle, who wore a simple grey kimono, pulling the sword away and keeping the blade from touching him.

Nagi, the Turtle who tried to kill him, glared at Splinter's savior. "This rodent tried to steal from me!" he growled. "The penalty for stealing from a member of the Foot elite is death!"

The other Turtle firmly shook his head. "We do not kill children for committing petty crimes." He let go of the sword and gave Splinter a warm smile, kneeling down on one knee so that he would be at the rat's level. "Are you hungry, little one?"

Splinter shyly nodded his head. "Y-Yes, sir."

The Turtle stood back up and offered Splinter his hand, still smiling. "Well, how about I treat you to some rice and tea?"

"Oh, no, sir," Splinter politefully declined and bowed to his savior. "I couldn't possibly-"

The Turtle patted him on the head, chuckling. "It's no problem really." He gently took the rat's hand and they walked away together. The villagers who stood by and watched the whole thing couldn't believe their eyes.

Nagi sighed and shook his head, watching them leave in disgust. "You're too soft to be in the Foot Clan, Yoshi."

 **So...what do ya think...? O.o**

 **Too weird?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Splinter in this story looks exactly like Splinter in the 2012 series, same color, design, everything.**

 **NOTE: There will probably be grammar mistakes which I will fix later.**

"Please," Splinter's cheeks flushed from embarrassment as the Turtle named Yoshi continued to wash him in a wooden tub of hot water. "You don't have to do this. You've already done more than enough for me."

Yoshi smiled and said nothing as he scrubbed the young rat's back. The child was so modest and quite mature for his age.

Splinter sighed and relented, winching and hissing in pain when the brush hit a particularly raw spot on his shoulder.

Yoshi noticed his reaction and stopped scrubbing to inspect the particular area. There was a wound that looked infected. "How'd you get this?"

The rat looked down at the water in shame. "A homeless badger bit me on the shoulder two days ago while we were fighting over a carrot. It fell out of someone's basket and we...we both wanted it, but he refused to share it."

Yoshi felt even more pity for the child and carefully washed the wound. "So do you fight for food often?"

Splinter faintly nodded. "Every day."

"When was the last time you ate? Before I took you to my home and fed you rice, I mean."

"Two days ago."

"So you won that fight with the badger then?"

"Yes," Splinter's voice was even lower. "I bit his left ear off."

Yoshi's green eyes widened and he stopped washing Splinter. "You did? Really?"

Splinter closed his eyes and nodded again. The Turtle must've been appalled by his animalistic behavior.

"Well, I'm impressed."

Splinter looked up at him in surprise. "Huh?"

Yoshi was smiling. "I've fought badgers before. They're quite vicious, especially when they're hungry. You're quite the fighter, kid."

Despite himself, Splinter smiled at little. Hearing Yoshi praise him made his chest feel warm and fuzzy.

...

Clunk...Clunk...

He traced his finger over the bandages that were wrapped around his shoulder. The Turtle treated him with such kindness that nobody except his mother had ever shown him before.

As he sat on the porch leading to the garden, he watched the bamboo of the sozu tilt back and forth as it filled up with water and then clanked against the stone.

Clunk...Clunk...Clunk...Bang! Bang! Bang!

He could not help but be reminded of the Rhinos pounding on the front door of his old house. His eyes clenched shut and he covered his ears as he remembered the sickening crack of his sister's neck breaking and the mournful wails of his distraught mother. He ran out of the house and left his family behind like a coward. He should've stayed and fought back, even if he had no chance of winning against the bigger, stronger Rhinos.

His mother's last words continued to haunt him. "Run, Splinter! Run!"

He felt so weak and useless. Hot tears leaked from out of his eyes as he began to weep for his mother and siblings.

"Why are you crying?"

He whipped his head round to see Yoshi standing behind him with a plate of sushi in his hands. He quickly dried his tears. "Forgive me if I disturbed you, Yoshi-sama," he croaked.

"No, no, you're fine," Yoshi softly assured him as he sat down on the porch next to him, offering him the plate. "Here. The best tasting sushi in our village."

Splinter smiled and bowed his head gratefully to the Turtle as he accepted the plate. Again he was shown kidness that he did absolutely nothing to deserve.

"So I just realized that I never got your name," Yoshi said as he leaned against a support beam.

"Splinter," the young rat said muffled, savoring the taste of the shrimp in his mouth.

Yoshi raised an eye ridge. "Really? Why were you named that?"

Splinter smiled fondly as he remembered the story behind his birth that his mother would tell him. "My mother said that while she was giving birth to me on the wooden floor of our house, she caught a splinter. It just stuck with her and she decided to name me 'Splinter'."

For a moment, Yoshi just stared at him, searching for any indication that the kid was merely joking. But when he saw that he was being serious, he laughed a little, more in disbelief than humor. "Really?"

The rat blushed a little and grinned sheepishly. "Heh, yeah, it's a strange name, I know. But it's the name Mother chose for me and I wouldn't change it for anything in the world."

"So," Yoshi cleared his throat, "where is your mother?"

The grin instantly dropped into a frown and Splinter slumped his shoulders and flattened his ears in a depressed manner. "I'm not sure," he softly admitted.

Realization flashed across Yoshi's face and was soon replaced with a grim expression. "I see. So you were separated from her?"

The boy nodded and set his plate down, having lost his appetite. "The Rhinos invaded our village and took my family prisoner. I escaped, but...I abandoned them. I should've stayed and fought back."

"Whoa, hold on," Yoshi placed a hand on Splinter's shoulder. "How old are you?"

"Eight."

"Eight. You're just a child. Even if you had fought back, you wouldn't have won against a mob of Rhinos on your own. You would've been killed or taken prisoner, and I know that that's not what your mother would've wanted. Fate brought you here for a reason and you must be grateful that you're still alive."

"But why did fate bring me here?" Splinter questioned.

Yoshi grinned and shrugged. "Well, that's something you'll need to find out for yourself."

Splinter smiled and nodded, feeling a little bit comforted by Yoshi's words. "Yes, I suppose." He stopped smiling and looked up at Yoshi. "Yoshi-sama, are you sure it's alright for me to stay in your home? I am a street rodent, after all."

"You can stay here for as long as you want, Splinter," Yoshi softly said, patting him on the back before he stood up and walked back into the house, leaving Splinter alone on the porch.

The rat poked at his sushi in thought. He was grateful to Yoshi for his kindness and hospitality, but he could never stay here and continue to be a burden to the Turtle.

* * *

The next morning, Splinter ventured the rest of the village that he couldn't before. Word spread that Hamato Yoshi took in the orphan rat and it was now forbidden to touch or do any harm to him. But that didn't stop the other villagers from giving him nasty, disgusted looks as he passed by.

In their eyes, he was a lowly rodent, even if he was a guest in the Hamato household. Splinter already knew that he didn't belonged here, and their glares made him feel even more unwelcomed. It was even worse than it was back in his old village.

His ears picked up the sound of fighting, and he followed them to a stone wall that surrounded a great temple. Curious, he ran to the nearest tree and climbed to the top, from which he had a great view of the front yard.

He was surprised to see Yoshi in hand-to-hand combat with the other Turtle from yesterday, Oroku Nagi. He knew that Yoshi was a ninja, but he had never seen anyone move with such speed and ferocity. It was amazing.

Watching them from the porch of the temple were a group of five elderly Turtles, the ruling Council. The one in the middle was the eldest, the Jonin of the Foot Clan, himself, Master Katashi.

At some point during the battle, Yoshi got the upper hand and kicked Nagi into a training post. He pinned his rival with one hand while raising the other in the form of a fist, preparing to deliver the final blow. But he paused, thinking that he had Nagi beat and the training was over.

But Nagi suddenly knocked him to the floor with a sweep kick and pinned him down with his right elbow while hitting him the carapace of his shell with his left without hesitation. From the tree, Splinter winced as Yoshi cried out in pain.

"Yame!" Master Katashi yelled, and Nagi instantly got off Yoshi and faced the Council, kneeling and bowing in respect. Yoshi groaned and hissed in pain as he slowly sat back up and crawled to the spot next to Nagi.

The eldest Turtle looked directly at Yoshi with disapproving eyes and shook his head. "You hesitate too much, Yoshi. If you were in the battlefield, you'd be dead. Hesitation is not tolerated in the Foot Clan. You will do well to remember that."

Yoshi sighed softly and bowed his head low to the ground in apology. "Hai, Sensei."

Nagi smiled smugly at his rival's humiliation.

Splinter felt sorry for his friend and climbed back down from the tree. As soon as his feet touched the ground, someone spoke to him from behind the tree.

"I knew my brother would win."

He peeked around the tree and a young Turtle, who looked to be around his age, was casually leaning against trunk and munching on an apple. He took another bite and glanced over at Splinter with his yellow-green eyes. "He always does," he spoke with his mouth full and swallowed his food down. "Yoshi is too soft and merciful. You're his new pet, right?"

Splinter flinched at the word "pet" and cleared his throat. "I'm a guest in his home," he calmly corrected him.

The Turtle blinked once before he threw his head back and laughed. "Ha! 'Guest'! Sure! So what's your name, rodent?"

The rat fought so hard not to lose his temper and lash out at him. "My name is Splinter," he said through gritted teeth.

This made the Turtle laugh even more. "Splinter?! What kind of dumb name is that? Your parents must've hated you or something."

Now Splinter's tail was lashing back and forth in anger. He was getting so close to lunging at the Turtle and ripping his crude tongue right out his mouth.

"You do know that he's just letting you stay because he feels sorry for you, right?" the Turtle asked him.

The anger cooled away and was replaced with shame as he looked down at the ground crestfallen. "I know," he mumbled.

The Turtle quickly finished the rest of his apple before he spoke to Splinter again. "Listen, Splinter, do everyone a favor and leave the village. We don't need any more rodents on our streets. It's not like you'll ever belong in the Foot anyway." He tossed away the apple core as he left.

As soon as it hit the ground, a hungry homeless mouse appeared from behind a bush and ran up to it. She reached for it but froze when she noticed Yoshi staring at her. Curling her lips back in a snarl, she glared at him and made a threatening growling sound before she snatched the core and dashed away.

Splinter's ears flattened and his shoulders slumped as he heart grew heavy. Seeing that mouse reminded him of what he truly was and would always be: a lowly rodent.

* * *

He never returned to the Hamato house that night.

After hearing that Turtle's words, he decided to leave the village so that he wouldn't disgrace Yoshi any further with his presence. He hated to leave without saying goodbye and thanking him for all his kindness, but he suspected that Yoshi would try to talk him into staying if he knew. Maybe he could find a new village where rats and other lowly were more welcomed and he wouldn't have to live on the streets.

The crickets chirped and the fireflies danced about as he walked through the marshes, shivering in the cold water. He nearly tripped several times as the mud sucked in his bare feet.

"No! Stop!"

Splinter whipped his head in the direction of the distressed female voice and hurried toward it. He pushed his way through the tall plants and as he got closer, he could hear some men laughing cruelly and a child crying. Peeking his head through the weeds, he saw a group of Boars harassing a sheep and her young lamb, who was clutching his mother's kimono as he sobbed. The brutes surrounded the two and poked at them with their spears, feeding on their fear.

Boars were just as barbaric and cruel as the Rhinos, always preying on the weak, ransacking villages and causing carnage. Seeing those Boars abuse the mother and her child reminded him of the Rhinos' invasion.

Well, he wasn't going to run away this time.

He snuck up behind the nearest Boar and bit on his hand with all his might, drawing blood. The Boar squealed in pain and temporarily loosened his grip on the spear. Splinter used the opportunity to snatch the weapon out of his hand and pointed it at all of them.

"Let the woman and her child go!" he shouted with a brave, determined look, yet his hands shook from fear.

The Boars looked at one another before they laughed mockingly at him. One of them started to march toward him with a sadistic grin on his face, but instead of turning back and making a run for it, Splinter charged right at him with the spear.

Before the tip of the weapon could hit him, the Board dodged out of the way in time and grabbed Splinter in a chokehold. The rat struggled and kicked and gasped for air, dropping the spear in the process. Another Boar walked up to him and leaned in so close to his face that his snout nearly touched his little pink nose.

"You wanna be a hero, eh?" he sneered. "Think you can save them? Watch this." He turned back to the sheep and the lamb, who instantly hugged each other, and slowly raised his spear.

Splinter's brown eyes widened in horror. "N-No! NO! N-!"

In one swift thrust, both the woman and her child were impaled together. They slumped to the ground, still embracing each other. The Boar pulled his spear out of their bodies and glanced over at Splinter with a smirk.

"Some hero you are," he chuckled darkly, proudly showing off the blood on his spear.

Tears slid down Splinter's cheeks and he looked away from the bodies. He had failed once again. Why couldn't he be stronger? He was too caught up in his grief and remorse to notice the Boar walking toward him with bloodlust eyes and pointing the spear at him.

Whsshh-Shhkk!

A shuriken came flying out of nowhere and embedded itself deep in the Boar's neck. He gasped and gurgled as blood spilt down his chin and had desperately grabbed his bleeding neck, stumbling backwards. The others watched in horror as he finally fell to the ground, dead within seconds.

Something leapt from behind the tall plants and appeared before the group. It was a Turtle wearing a black ninja mask, a black hakama, and armor that covered his arms and legs. He glared at the Boars with predatory white eyes and unsheathed his twin katanas.

"A ninja!" one of the Boars gasped.

"Kill him!" another shouted as he charged at the Turtle. The Boar that had a hold of Splinter dropped him and attacked the intruder as well. But before they could even reach him, the ninja dashed right at them and slashed their waists within a matter of seconds. The two Boars instantly dropped to the ground, the water turning red with their blood.

Only two Boars remained standing, and they both could stand where they were and stare at the mysterious Turtle with their knees shaking.

The ninja smirked and simply said, "boo."

Immediately, the Boars dropped their spears and ran away squealing.

During the entire fight, Splinter focused only on the dead mother and child that lay face-down in the water with wide blank eyes, horrified and distraught over what happened. He never noticed the Turtle walking up to him and jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. When he saw the masked stranger looking down at him, he started to back away in fear.

"Hey," the Turtle said in a gentle tone as he knelt down, his eyes no longer white. "Splinter, it's me."

Splinter looked into the familiar green orbs that held so much kindness and compassion. "Y...Yoshi...sama?" he whispered.

Yoshi nodded and picked up the rat in an embrace. "Yes. You're safe now."

Splinter couldn't hold back the tears and his shoulders shook at his cried in the Turtle's plastron. He could feel strong yet gentle hands soothingly rub his back.

"Let's get you back home," Yoshi whispered as he got back on his feet and carried Splinter away.

Although he wanted to protest, Splinter was too exhausted and eventually fell asleep in the Turtle's protecting arms.

 **Happy Thanksgiving!**

 **Can you guess who the young Turtle was? The brother of Nagi?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry I haven't updated this for a while! :o**

 **NOTE: There will probably be grammar mistakes which I will fix later.**

"Splinter, why did you run off without saying goodbye at least?" Yoshi softly asked the young rat as he draped a warm blanket over his shoulders. The two knelt at small table back at the Hamato household later that night.

Splinter said nothing and only looked down at the wooden floor in shame with his ears flattened. Instead of pressing the issue further, Yoshi left the room to grab his pot of hot herbal tea. He poured some for himself and Splinter into small cups and handed one to the child.

Reluctantly, Splinter accepted the cup, but he did not drink the tea. Yoshi noticed this but only sighed softly and took a sip of his own. Just as he set his cup down on the table, the doors of the front entrance slid open from the other side of the house.

"Yoshi?" a female voice called out to the Turtle.

There was a glint in Yoshi's eyes at the sound of that voice and he quickly stood up. "Excuse me for a moment, Splinter. Please drink your tea." He rushed out of the room and down the hallway to meet with the mysterious visitor.

As Splinter stay there kneeling at the table with the cup in his hands, his ears picked up their faint conversation.

"Tang Shen," he heard Yoshi say. "It is an honor to have you as a guest in my house tonight."

"Speaking of guests," the woman said, "how is the boy?"

Yoshi sighed sadly. "He's utterly exhausted and traumatized. He ran off into the Boar lands and...well, he saw them murder a woman and her child."

"Oh, no," she gasped. "The poor thing. May I go see him?"

There was momentary pause before Splinter heard footsteps approaching the room. Yoshi was the first to step in, and behind him was another Turtle who wore a light blue kimono with simple flower prints. Her eyes were a light blue that reminded Splinter of the sky on a clear day, and green freckles dotted her beak. When she smiled warmly at him, it was like seeing his mother smile once again, and he found himself smiling back at her.

She walked over to him and knelt down, taking his hand and soothingly rubbing it. "Hello, Splinter," she said in a voice that was filled with so much kindness. "I am Tang Shen. Yoshi's told me a lot about you. You are a very brave boy for traveling as far as you did to get here."

Splinter blushed and shyly cast his eyes down.

"And despite what others may say," she gently lifted his chin and made him look directly at her, "you are _always_ welcomed here."

"She's right," Yoshi smiled as he stood next to Shen. "Reptile or not, you're a member of the Foot family. And if anyone has a problem with that, then they'll have to answer to _me_."

Splinter's vision blurred with tears as he looked up at the two Turtles. From the moment he arrived, Yoshi treated him with respect instead of contempt like the rest of the villagers. And to feel like he was a valued member of a clan instead of a lowly creature that was looked down upon by all...it was an overwhelming feeling of joy and pride that he never felt before.

"Thank you," he choked as he bowed low to the ground before them. "And I promise to repay your kindness to me someday. I swear it on my life."

Shen giggled as she helped Splinter to sit back up. "Child, you owe us nothing." Yoshi nodded in agreement and knelt down to ruffle the top of Splinter's head.

...

"He is such a sweet boy," Shen whispered to Yoshi. The two sat on the porch with Splinter resting his head in her lap, sound asleep. Dawn was nearing, but the two wanted to stay together for as along as possible.

She looked down at the young rat with sad eyes. "The poor thing has no one left in the world. You are a good soul for taking him in, Yoshi." She looked over at him and smiled sweetly. "That's what I've always admired about you."

Yoshi smiled shyly and chuckled softly as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Yes, well, uh..." He cleared his throat and became more serious. "Anyway, has Nagi been giving you any more trouble?"

Shen closed her eyes and sighed softly. "No, but he still has that lustful look in his eye whenever he casts a glance in my direction. He doesn't understand that he'll never have my love, or perhaps he does but refuses to accept it."

"Of course he wouldn't," Yoshi muttered. "His pride and arrogance will be his downfall someday. And if he lays a hand on you..." His hands clenched into fists at the thought of Nagi forcing himself on her.

But a gentle warm hand touched his, soothing the anger away. "Yoshi, don't," she begged.

Yoshi took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Forgive me, Shen. It's just...you know how I feel about you."

Shen nodded and leaned over to rest her head on his strong shoulder. "Yes, I do. And there's no one else in this world whom I love more than you." She reached to wrap her arm around his neck and nuzzle his beak with her own. "My heart belongs only to you, Yoshi, and it always will."

Yoshi pulled her closer and nuzzled her back. He wanted to kiss her soft lips, but they were not a married couple, and out of respect to her father, he restrained himself from crossing that boundary. According to the law, it was up to the father of the woman to decide who would marry her, and that usually depended on who was the strongest and most respected. Sadly, it did not matter whom Tang Shen loved, so she had no say in the matter.

Both Yoshi and Nagi wanted Shen, and so their longtime rivalry became even more fierce. But unfortunately, Nagi seemed to be already favored by the Council, and everyone in the village respected the Oroku family, including Shen's father. So it seemed that Yoshi had little to no chance of winning Shen's hand in marriage, but even so, he refused to give up.

He'd be damned if he was going to let that smug brute get his hands on someone as pure and innocent as Tang Shen.

* * *

"Watch your sushi there, Rai," a Gecko nudged his Salamander friend, who ran a sushi stall in the marketplace.

Rai stopped chopping the fish and looked at him. "Why?"

The Gecko nodded to Hamato Yoshi and Splinter were standing. The Turtle was purchasing rice balls and handed one to the rat, who nodded gratefully and gobbled it down quickly. "That thieving rodent Splinter is back," the Gecko said with disgust.

Rai's golden eyes widened in shock before he rolled them in annoyance and groaned. "Seriously? I thought Oroku Nagi killed that little pest."

"Obviously that was just a rumor," the Gecko mumbled. "Wish he really had killed him, though."

Rai nodded in agreement before he quickly put on a friendly smile as he realized that the two were approaching his stall. "Ah, Yoshi-san!" he said cheerfully and bowed his head to the Turtle. "The usual?"

Yoshi smiled and nodded as he handed out to small plates. "Yes, please. Three _sashimi_ and two _nigiri_ for me, and I'd like two _ika_ for my young friend here."

Splinter anxiously licked his lips as the chef put the raw squid on his plate. He had only tasted the delicious fish twice in his life. If his mother was "generously" paid with an exceptionally high amount of money by a client, she would spend it on surprise gifts for her children. His surprise would be his favorite sushi ever, which was _ika_. He envied the other more privileged children in his old village who could afford to eat it on a daily basis.

"Here you are," Rai handed him the plate, but although he wore a smile, Splinter could still see the disgust and contempt in his eyes. Obviously, the Salamander had not forgiven him for stealing a few of his sushi when he lived on the streets.

Giving him a quick nod of gratitude, Splinter walked away from the stall, still feeling the eyes of the peddlers and merchants who knew him all too well. He kept on walking at a hurried pace until he reached the mask shop. Hanging on a wooden wall were dozens of antique masks of all shapes and sizes. His particular favorite had always been the Namahage's face because of it's unique features.

He chuckled at the memory of his brother Moon promising to protect him and Lotus from the demon Namahage should he try to invade their home and take them from their beds. Of course, Moon wasn't as brave as he claimed to be or thought he was. One time a cricket had jumped into his bed while he slept, and when he woke up to the insect sitting inches from his face on the pillow, he screamed and cried like a baby. It took their mother nearly ten minutes to calm him down.

"You again?"

Splinter turned around and saw that same young Turtle from yesterday, Oroku Nagi's brother. He had a scowl on his face as he crossed his arms. "Why are you still here? Can't you see that you're not welcomed in our village?"

Those words stabbed at Splinter's heart, but he remembered Yoshi and Shen's words from last night. He narrowed his eyes at the Turtle in defiance and shook his head. "No," he firmly said. "I'm not going anywhere. This village is my home, too."

The Turtle blinked in surprise then threw his head back in laughter. "Oh, really? Well, what do you do for our Clan, huh? Besides eat our leftovers and garbage?"

Splinter opened his mouth to speak, but he couldn't think of what to say. The boy had a valid point; just what good was he to the Foot Clan? He had only a few skills: making flower wreaths, sneaking into very small and crammed spaces, and pickpocketing.

His silence said it all and the Turtle gave him a smug smirk. "That's what I thought. See, I'm training to be an assassin in the Foot elite. That's the best of the best. And one day, I'll surpass every ninja in the village, even my brother. Maybe I'll even be the first Oroku to join the Council. Oh, that's right. I never introduced myself. How rude of me" He held out a hand to Splinter. "I'm Saki."

Smiling politely, Splinter reached to shake, but before he could, Saki suddenly knocked the plate of _ika_ out of his other hand. The plate shattered on the ground and the squid was covered in dust and dirt. Saki chuckled cruelly while Splinter looked down at his now spoiled food in dismay. He knelt down to pick up a broken piece of the plate, but hissed in pain as the sharp edge cut his hand. The blood ran all the way down his arm and dripped to the ground.

A quiet gasp caught his attention and he lifted his head to see Saki looking at him horrified, his face blanching. Maybe he regretted what he had done?

Splinter stood up and applied pressure to his wound with his other hand. "It's okay," he assured Saki. "It's not as bad as it looks, really."

But every step he took toward Saki, the Turtle took a step back. He was even trembling a little. Splinter then realized that he was afraid of something, but what? He followed Saki's gaze to his bleeding arm. Splinter's eyes widened in surprise as it dawned on him.

Oroku Saki was afraid of blood. How ironic.

Then he grinned slyly as he got a sadistic but brilliant idea. He lunged at Saki and pinned him to the ground. As they lay there, Splinter smeared his blood all over Saki's face. The Turtle screamed and frantically kicked his legs and flail his arms like a madman. Splinter only laughed and proceeded to wipe his hand on Saki's arms. He knew that it shouldn't feel good to torment others, but it did.

"Saki?!"

Just then Oroku Nagi pushed and shoved his way through the crowd, and Splinter immediately got off of Saki. The older Turtle's eyes became large at the sight of his little brother curled in fetal position and covered in blood, then they burned with rage as he directed them at Splinter. The young rat cowered under his glare.

"What did you do to him?" Nagi growled as he grabbed Splinter by the arm and painfully lifted him off the ground. "Answer me, rodent!"

"The blood isn't his!" Splinter quickly explained as he unclenched his fist, showing Nagi his wound. "See? It's mine! I swear!"

"What's going?!" Yoshi made his way through the crowd and confronted his rival. "Nagi, let him go!"

Nagi growled in his throat as he tossed Splinter aside, but thankfully Yoshi was able to catch him before he'd hit the ground or crash into something. "Saki?" he knelt down and shook his brother, who didn't move and continue to mumble the word "blood" over and over again in a deranged manner. Annoyed, he lifted Saki by the shoulders and shook him harder. "Saki!"

Said Turtle blinked rapidly and snapped out of it, looking around slightly confused.

"Come, we're going home," Nagi roughly pulled him back onto his feet, then he turned to glare at Yoshi. "This better not happen again, Yoshi, or you'll see his blood on _me_ next time." He pulled on Saki's arm as he stormed away and his little brother stumbled a bit as he followed.

Yoshi noticed the pieces of a sushi plate at his feet, one of which had blood on it. Then he looked down at Splinter, who avoided his gaze and continued to hold his bleeding hand. He pursed his lips and gently touched Splinter's shoulder. "Saki did this to you, didn't he?"

Splinter still didn't look at him as he shook his head. "I cut myself. It was all my fault."

Yoshi knew better, but he only nodded and ripped off a piece of his sleeve, wrapping it around Splinter's hand. "We should get going anyway. Tang Shen is expecting us at the koi garden." He started to walk away but stopped when he noticed that Splinter wasn't following him. The rat just stood there and looked at his feet in thought. "Splinter? What is it?"

Taking a deep breath, Splinter finally lifted his head and said, "Yoshi-san, could you teach me ninjutsu?"

Yoshi blinked. "...huh?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi, my dear readers.**

 **I've got good news and bad news.**

 **Bad news first: I am discontinuing this story. I'm really sorry if you liked this story and wanted to see more.**

 **Now the good news: it's being remade into a whole new story! It's called "The Legendary Ninja Story", an AU in which the Turtles and Splinter are from the Usagi world and have travelled to ours. Please check it out when you can!**


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